Rambling about the Cubs While Dreaming of the Dog Days

Hello again, everybody. I know it sounds funny to be dreaming of the dog days of summer, but this Chicago winter wins. It wins more than any winter I can remember, and it wins more than the Yankees, the Cowboys, Duke and Notre Dame combined. That would be Notre Dame, pre-1990.

I don’t care what is happening in August with the Cubs, I just know my body won’t be frozen while I try to go about my life. Wearing a heavy winter coat to simply shiver less than normal is not the way anyone wants to start the spring.

But, alas, spring is upon us, we are ten days from the beginning of the season and two weeks from the home opener at Wrigley. We are on the backstretch so let’s get Rambling …

My favorite part is that management is saying he still has a chance to make the Big-League roster. He is going to make the Big-League Roster.

I picked Dayton, Harvard and North Dakota State.

Also, if you want to hear about my fantasy teams, I can tell you about those as well. I know it is so intriguing.

Baseball writers are running out of words for Baez. And that is fun. We are down to “pitch selection” as one of the last things he needs to command. This could be so very fun.

Every time I read about Olt and Baez going back-to-back, I first think of Ronnie, and then I think how much fun this could actually be. And I get excited.

Then I remind myself how excited I was about Wood and Prior.

In all seriousness, you all know I am an avid consumer of Cubbie Kool-Aid, so I am just trying to check myself.

Prayers to Aroldis Chapman. Baseball has to do something about this. I pitched in 12-inch in Chicago and caught one flush on my nose. Had two surgeries. And that is 12-inch beer-league stuff. Not Major League Baseball. Noses are one thing, your brain, livelihood, and life are another.

However, I would hold on to Schierholtz until the deadline. My gut says he will garner more in July than March. My gut doesn’t think that about Barney.

My gut is also brilliant. Do I need to bring up my brackets again? Or I can tell you how I once said Matt Murton would be an All-Star and beloved member of the Cubs for all history to come.

I can also tell you how I thought Ced Landrum was the next Vince Coleman.

But I digress … I will set the over/under on Edwin Jackson’s ERA at 4.75. Tell us below what you think. It was 4.98 last year.

In 2013, Chris Rusin started 13 games with a sub-4 ERA … he won 2 of them.

Then again, in 2013 Travis Wood started 32 games, pitched exactly 200 innings, had a 3.11 ERA and won … 9 games. That is so sad.

My hope for 2014, one of them, is that Anthony Rizzo can find who is was, and is, meant to be on a ball field. He has the skills. I thought that trade was a no-brainer in favor of the Cubs. This season will be quite the litmus test.

In things related to “Captain of the Obvious,” which is a title I am proud of, Brett Jackson, Josh Vitters and Matt Szczur are nearing their collective last chance … Let’s hope one of them do it.

I will end the Ramblings like this … Jeff Samardzija will be a Cub for quite some time to come. The bright, brilliant gut just has that feeling.

Let’s have some fun with all of this. I hope everyone enjoys the first weekend of the spring, the first weekend of the tournament, and a weekend full of great things with family and friends.